First results from the magnetic detector PLUTO at the new e + e − storage ring PETRA are shown. The ratio R of the cross section for hadron production to that for μ-pair production has been measured to be R = 5.0 ± 0.5 at 13 GeV and 4.3 ±0.5 at 17 GeV. Both values have an additional systematic error of 20%. The events show a typical 2-jet structure. The mean transverse momentum approaches a constant value with increasing energy implying a shrinkage of the jet opening angle.

The production rates of D*+-, Ds*+-, D+-, D0 / D0bar, Ds+, and Lambda_c in Z to ccbar decays are measured using the LEP I data sample recorded by the ALEPH detector. The fractional energy spectrum of the D*+- is well described as the sum of three contributions: charm hadronisation, b hadron decays and gluon splitting into a pair of heavy quarks. The probability for a c quark to hadronise into a D*+ is found to be f(c to D*+) = 0.233 +- 0.010 (stat.) +- 0.011 (syst.). The average fraction of the beam energy carried by D*+- mesons in Z to cc events is measured to be < X_E (D*+-) >_cc = 0.4878 +- 0.0046 (stat.) +- 0.0061 (syst.). The D*+- energy and the hemisphere mass imbalance distributions are simultaneously used to measure the fraction of hadronic Z decays in which a gluon splits to a cc pair: n_{gluon to cc} = (3.23 +- 0.48 (stat.) +- 0.53 (syst.) %. The ratio of the Vector/(Vector+Pseudoscalar) production rates in charmed mesons is found to be P_V = 0.595 +- 0.045. The fractional decay width of the Z into cc pairs is determined from the sum of the production rates for various weakly decaying charmed states to be Rc = 0.1738 +- 0.0047 (stat.) +- 0.0116 (syst.).

The cross section and jet rates ofZ0 decays into photons and quarks are compared with matrix element Monte Carlos ofO(ααs). Good agreement is found between data and theoretical predic

Using the CLEO III detector, we measure absolute cross sections for e+e- --> hadrons at seven center-of-mass energies between 6.964 and 10.538 GeV. The values of R, the ratio of hadronic and muon pair production cross sections, are determined within 2% total r.m.s. uncertainty.

Infrared and collinear safe event shape distributions and their mean values are determined in e+e- collisions at centre-of-mass energies between 45 and 202 GeV. A phenomenological analysis based on power correction models including hadron mass effects for both differential distributions and mean values is presented. Using power corrections, alpha_s is extracted from the mean values and shapes. In an alternative approach, renormalisation group invariance (RGI) is used as an explicit constraint, leading to a consistent description of mean values without the need for sizeable power corrections. The QCD beta-function is precisely measured using this approach. From the DELPHI data on Thrust, including data from low energy experiments, one finds beta_0 = 7.86 +/- 0.32 for the one loop coefficient of the beta-function or, assuming QCD, n_f = 4.75 +/- 0.44 for the number of active flavours. These values agree well with the QCD expectation of beta_0=7.67 and n_f=5. A direct measurement of the full logarithmic energy slope excludes light gluinos with a mass below 5 GeV.

In this Report, QCD results obtained from a study of hadronic event structure in high energy e^+e^- interactions with the L3 detector are presented. The operation of the LEP collider at many different collision energies from 91 GeV to 209 GeV offers a unique opportunity to test QCD by measuring the energy dependence of different observables. The main results concern the measurement of the strong coupling constant, \alpha_s, from hadronic event shapes and the study of effects of soft gluon coherence through charged particle multiplicity and momentum distributions.

The inclusive production of the omega(782) vector meson in hadronic Z decays is measured and compared to model predictions. The analysis is based on 4 million hadronic Z decays recorded by the ALEPH detector between 1991 and 1995. The production rate for x_p = p_meson/p_beam > 0.05 is measured in the omega -> pi^+ pi^- pi^0 decay mode and found to be 0.585 +- 0.019_stat +- 0.033_sys per event. Inclusive eta meson production is also measured in the same decay channel for x_p > 0.10, obtaining 0.355 +- 0.011_stat +- 0.024_sys per event. The branching ratio for omega -> mu^+ mu^- is investigated. A total of 18.1 +- 5.9 events are observed, from which the muonic branching ratio is measured for the first time to be BR(omega -> mu^+ mu^-) = (9.0 +- 2.9_stat +- 1.1_sys)*10^-5.

The contributions of the PLUTO experiment to e + e − physics at collision energies in the range of 3–32 GeV are reviewed. The review briefly sketches the storage rings DORIS and PETRA at DESY, and describes the most important features of the PLUTO detector, of data processing, and of the analysis methods. It covers the physics results in the fields of electroweak interactions, of the heavy lepton τ and the search for still heavier leptons, of hadron production with evidence for quark and gluon jets, as well as for single and multiple gluon emission, of Y decays and their relation to QCD, and presents results in high-energy photon-photon interactions, including the first measurement of the photon structure function.

Production of Sigma- and Lambda(1520) in hadronic Z decays has been measured using the DELPHI detector at LEP. The Sigma- is directly reconstructed as a charged track in the DELPHI microvertex detector and is identified by its Sigma -> n pi decay leading to a kink between the Sigma- and pi-track. The reconstruction of the Lambda(1520) resonance relies strongly on the particle identification capabilities of the barrel Ring Imaging Cherenkov detector and on the ionisation loss measurement of the TPC. Inclusive production spectra are measured for both particles. The production rates are measured to be <N_{Sigma-}/N_{Z}^{had}> = 0.081 +/- 0.002 +/- 0.010, <N_{Lambda(1520)}/N_{Z}^{had}> = 0.029 +/- 0.005 +/- 0.005. The production rate of the Lambda(1520) suggests that a large fraction of the stable baryons descend from orbitally excited baryonic states. It is shown that the baryon production rates in Z decays follow a universal phenomenological law related to isospin, strangeness and mass of the particles.

We employ data taken by the JADE and OPAL experiments for an integrated QCD study in hadronic e+e- annihilations at c.m.s. energies ranging from 35 GeV through 189 GeV. The study is based on jet-multiplicity related observables. The observables are obtained to high jet resolution scales with the JADE, Durham, Cambridge and cone jet finders, and compared with the predictions of various QCD and Monte Carlo models. The strong coupling strength, alpha_s, is determined at each energy by fits of O(alpha_s^2) calculations, as well as matched O(alpha_s^2) and NLLA predictions, to the data. Matching schemes are compared, and the dependence of the results on the choice of the renormalization scale is investigated. The combination of the results using matched predictions gives alpha_s(MZ)=0.1187+{0.0034}-{0.0019}. The strong coupling is also obtained, at lower precision, from O(alpha_s^2) fits of the c.m.s. energy evolution of some of the observables. A qualitative comparison is made between the data and a recent MLLA prediction for mean jet multiplicities.

The total hadronic cross section in e + e − annihilation has been measured at s = 57.77 GeV using 290 pb −1 data sample collected with the VENUS detector at KEK TRISTAN. The cross section obtained is 140.3 ±1.8 pb for s ′/ s ≥0.5, where s ′ is the square of the invariant mass of the final state hadrons. The present result together with the recent results from the LEP collaborations is used to determine the hadronic γ − Z 0 interference parameter, j tot had , to be 0.196±0.083. The result is in good agreement with the Standard Model prediction of 0.220.

DELPHI results are presented on the inclusive production of the neutral mesons ρ 0 , f 0 (980), f 2 (1270), K ∗0 2 (1430) and f ′ 2 (1525) in hadronic Z 0 decays. They are based on about 2 million multihadronic events collected in 1994 and 1995, using the particle identification capabilities of the DELPHI Ring Imaging Cherenkov detectors and measured ionization losses in the Time Projection Chamber. The total production rates per hadronic Z 0 decay have been determined to be: 1.19±0.10 for ρ 0 ; 0.164±0.021 for f 0 (980); 0.214±0.038 for f 2 (1270); 0.073±0.023 for K ∗0 2 (1430) ; and 0.012±0.006 for f ′ 2 (1525). The total production rates for all mesons and differential cross-sections for the ρ 0 , f 0 (980) and f 2 (1270) are compared with the results of other LEP experiments and with models.

Inclusive production of the f_0(980), f_2(1270) and \phi(1020) resonances has been studied in a sample of 4.3 million hadronic Z^0 decays from the OPAL experiment at LEP. A coupled channel analysis has been used for the f_0 in simultaneous fits to the resonances in inclusive \pi+\pi- and K+K- mass spectra. Fragmentation functions are reported for the three states. Total inclusive rates are measured to be 0.141 +/- 0.007 +/- 0.011 f_0, 0.155 +/- 0.011 +/- 0.018 f_2, and 0.091 +/- 0.002 +/- 0.003 \phi mesons per hadronic Z^0 decay. The production properties of the f_0, including those in three-jet events, are compared with those of the f_2 and \phi, and with the Lund string model of hadron production. All measurements are consistent with the hypothesis that the f_0 is a conventional qq(bar) scalar meson.

Using the CLEO detector at the Cornell Electron Storage Ring, we have made a measurement of R=sigma(e+e- ->hadrons)/sigma(e+e- ->mu+mu-) =3.56+/-0.01+/-0.07 at ECM=10.52 GeV. This implies a value for the strong coupling constant of alpha_s(10.52 GeV)=0.20+/-0.01+/-0.06, or alpha_s(M_Z)=0.13+/-0.005+/-0.03.

Data recorded by the JADE experiment at the PETRA e^+e^- collider were used to measure the event shape observables thrust, heavy jet mass, wide and total jet broadening and the differential 2-jet rate in the Durham scheme. For the latter three observables, no experimental results have previously been presented at these energies. The distributions were compared with resummed QCD calulations (O(alpha_s^2)+NLLA), and the strong coupling constant alpha_s(Q) was determined at different energy scales Q=sqrt{s}. The results, \alpha_s(22 GeV) = 0.161 ^{+0.016}_{-0.011}, \alpha_s(35 GeV) = 0.143 ^{+0.011}_{-0.007}, \alpha_s(44 GeV) = 0.137 ^{+0.010}_{-0.007}, are in agreement with previous combined results of PETRA albeit with smaller uncertainties. Together with corresponding data from LEP, the energy dependence of alpha_s is significantly tested and is found to be in good agreement with the QCD expectation. Similarly, mean values of the observables were compared to analytic QCD predictions where hadronisation effects are absorbed in calculable power corrections.

Previously published and as yet unpublished QCD results obtained with the ALEPH detector at LEP1 are presented. The unprecedented statistics allows detailed studies of both perturbative and non-perturbative aspects of strong interactions to be carried out using hadronic Z and tau decays. The studies presented include precise determinations of the strong coupling constant, tests of its flavour independence, tests of the SU(3) gauge structure of QCD, study of coherence effects, and measurements of single-particle inclusive distributions and two-particle correlations for many identified baryons and mesons.

We present a study of the inclusive ω and η′ production based on 3.1 million hadronic Z decays recorded with the L3 detector at LEP during 1991–1994. The production rates per hadronic Z decay have been measured to be 1.17±0.17 ω mesons and 0.25±0.04 η′ mesons. The production rates and the differential cross sections have been compared with predictions of the JETSET and the HERWIG Monte Carlo models. We have observed that the differential cross sections can be described by an analytical quantum chromodynamics calculation.

The total cross section of the processe+e− →hadrons has been measured in the center-of-mass energy range between 7.25 and 10.34 GeV using the MD-1 detector at the VEPP-4 collider. The ratioR=σ(e+e− →hadrons)/σ(e+e− →μ+μ−) was found to be constant in this energy range with the average value of 3.58±0.02±0.14.

The production of neutral kaons in e+e− annihilation at centre-of-mass energies in the region of the Z0 mass and their Bose-Einstein correlations are investigated with the OPAL detector at LEP. A total of about 1.26×106 Z0 hadronic decay events are used in the analysis. The production rate of K0 mesons is found to be 1.99±0.01±0.04 per hadronic event, where the first error is statistical and the second systematic. Both the rate and the differential cross section for K0 production are compared to the predictions of Monte Carlo generators. This comparison indicates that the fragmentation is too soft in bothJetset andHerwig. Bose-Einstein correlations in Ks0Ks0 pairs are measured through the quantityQ, the four momentum difference of the pair. A threshold enhancement is observed in Ks0Ks0 pairs originating from a mixed sample of\(K^0 \bar K^0\) and K0K0 (\(\bar K^0 \bar K^0\)) pairs. For the strength of the effect and for the radius of the emitting source we find values of λ=1.14±0.23±0.32 andR0=(0.76±0.10±0.11) fm respectively. The first error is statistical and the second systematic.

The total hadronic cross section in e + e − annihilation was measured at s =5.77 GeV to be σ h = 143.6 ± 1.5 (stat) ± 3.5 (sys) pb with only the QED corrections. The measurement was based on data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 90.8 pb −1 accumulated by the TOPAZ detector at TRISTAN. Our data point put stringent constraints on the size of the γ - Z 0 interference and the Z 0 mass. Combining our data with the OPAL data at LEP, we obtained the coefficient of the interference and the Z 0 mass to be J had = 0.10 ± 0.26 and M z = 91.151 ± 0.008 GeV, respectively, in a model-independent analysis.

This analysis, based on a sample of 170000 hadronic Z0 decays, provides a measurement of the K ± and p/ p differential cross sections which is compared to string- and cluster fragmentation models. The total multiplicities for K ± and p/ p per hadronic event were found to be: NK = 2.26 ± 0.18 and N p = 1.07 ± 0.14. The positions ξ * of the maxima of the differential cross sections as a function of ξ = ln(1/ x p ) for K ± and p/ p were determined to be 2.63 ± 0.07 and 2.96 ± 0.16 respectively. A comparison of the ξ * values for various identified particles measured at LEP with the prediction of the Modified Leading Logarithm Approximation with Local Parton Hadron Duality model has been performed. The measured ξ * position as a function of the hadron mass, after corrections due to particle decays, is in agreement with the model calculation.

A study of the production of strange octet and decuplet baryons in hadronic decays of the Z recorded by the DELPHI detector at LEP is presented. This includes the first measurement of the∑± average multiplicity. The total and differential cross sections, the event topology and the baryon-antibaryon correlations are compared with current hadronization models.

The inclusive production rates of π±,K± andp\(\bar p\) inZ0 decays have been measured with the OPAL detector at LEP. Using the energy loss measurement in the jet chamber, the momentum range up to the beam energy (45.6 GeV/c) has been covered. Differential cross sections and total particle yields are given. Comparisons of the inclusive momentum spectra and the total rates with predictions of the JETSET and the HERWIG Monte Carlo model are presented. The total single rates are found to be 17.05±0.43 π±, 2.42±0.13K± and 0.92±0.11p\(\bar p\) per hadronic event. Predictions of JETSET for cross sections and total rates agree very well for π±; however, for momenta greater than 4 GeV/c,K± rates are underestimated and\(\bar p\) rates are overestimated. Combined with data of other particle species there is evidence that the peak positions in the ξ=ln(1/xp) distributions show a different mass dependence for mesons and baryons. However, both JETSET and HERWIG Monte Carlo predictions agree with the observed data.

Measurements are presented of the inclusive cross section for K ∗ (892) ± production in hadronic decays of the Z 0 using a sample of about half a million events recorded with the OPAL experiment at LEP. Charged K ∗ mesons are reconstructed in the decay channel K 0 S π ± . A mean rate of 0.72±0.02±0.08 K ∗ mesons per hadronic event is found. Comparison of the results with predictions of the JETSET and HERWIG models shows that JETSET overestimates the K ∗± production cross section while HERWIG is consistent with the data.

We have measured theR value in non-resonante+e− annihilation using the ARGUS detector at the storage ring DORIS II. At a centre-of-mass energy\(\sqrt s= 9.36\) GeV the ratio of the hadronic cross-section to the μ-pair cross section in lowest order QED has been determined to beR=3.46±0.03±0.13. In addition, we have measured the charged-particle multiplicities in non-resonant hadron production at\(\sqrt s= 10.47\) GeV just below theB\(\bar B\) threshold and in ϒ (4S) resonance decays. For the average charged-particle multiplicities in continuum events and ϒ(4S)→B\(\bar B\) decays we obtain <n>cont=8.35±0.02±0.20 and <n>ϒ(4s)=10.81±0.05±0.23.